Between Two Loves
by Yoruichi 'Ino
Summary: Ino is stuck between two guys. SasuInoGaa Main: SasuIno
1. Prologue: The Beginning

Okay, so I've been asked to make multi-chapter fics, and here is one of three. xD It's just a matter of me typing up the chapters. Aren't you excited? Hehehe So this is my favorite love triangle! SasuInoGaa! There will probably be some OOCness because quite frankly, it's bloody hard to write Sasuke and Gaara romantic-wise. Here, Sasuke never left and is still power hungry and Gaara is Kazekage. Also, there is a bit of a time skip but not really. Any who, enough of my babbling! Enjoy the story! This first chapter is dedicated to InoXSasukeSOS—just as I promised. Review please!

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--Between Two Loves--

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.  
**Summary:**Ino is stuck between two guys. SasuInoGaa Main: SasuIno

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--Prologue: The Beginning--

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Chuunin Exams were taking place and the stadium in which the battles were occurring was packed. The audience watched battle after battle, waiting diligently for one certain fight. The battle of the year, century even: Sasuke Uchiha versus Gaara no Sabaku.

The time finally came for the most waited battle. The Sand nin stepped onto the battle field, but Sasuke was still nowhere in sight. They were just about to call off the fight, when all of the sudden, the entire stadium became silent. Leaves swayed in the wind to reveal the raven-haired boy and his sensei—Kakashi Hatake.

"Sasuke! It's really him!" Ino Yamanaka could feel her heart beat rapidly as she stared down from where she was sitting. The blonde turned to her once again friend and smiled. "Sakura, he's here!"

"I know!" The equally excited girl exclaimed.

Not too soon after the Uchiha arrived, the battle between Sasuke and Gaara began. Sasuke charged towards Gaara with his fist aiming at the Sand ninja's face. As soon as the raven-haired boy was mere seconds from his opponent's nose, sand shot up to protect the red-haired boy. Sasuke quickly moved out of the way in order to avoid some sort of trap. Gaara launched sand towards the Uchiha, who quickly dodged the attack.

The intense battle continued with each opponent avoiding the other's attacks. Suddenly, Gaara's sand began to surround him. Everyone was transfixed as the sand shaped itself into a sphere with Gaara being the prize inside. A perplexed Sasuke stood in a fighting stance as he stared at the thing before him.

"Oh, no. Gaara." Temari looked at Kankuro with a worried expression. Their little brother had done something bad.

Sasuke snapped out of his trance and decided now was the perfect time to win this battle. He was going to prove once and for all that he was the strongest of all the genin taking the test. The Uchiha's arm began to spark up—it was time to show his new jutsu!

"Chidori!" Sasuke charged at the sand sphere and tried to punch through the sand. He managed to do so, for at that precise moment, a piercing scream reached everyone's ears. That was when things got bad. A deformed Gaara came out of his hiding spot and reveal by his body that he was part demon.

'Sasuke!' Ino thought from the audience seats. As the blonde looked around, she noticed things were just as bad in the audience section as it was on the battle field with Sasuke. Sound ninja suddenly appeared out of no where and ambushed the Leaf citizens. 'Oh no! They're putting a genjutsu on us. Release! Better pretend to fall into the trap in case things get bad.'

From her position, Ino felt Sakura do similar hand-signs as she had done. The Yamanaka heard as Kakashi told the rest of Team 7, his summoned dog, and Shikamaru to go retrieve Sasuke—who had run out to follow Gaara.

Ino stood with her head to her knees as Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai fought alongside the ANBU Black Ops to demolish the Sound ninjas. The cerulean-eyed girl waited until she was sure no one was paying attention to her and slipped away to follow her friends. 'Kami-sama. Please let them be all right.'

On her way to follow their tail, Ino spotted Shikamaru fighting against a mob of ninjas. She was just about to go help him when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Though she didn't turn to see who it was, she knew perfectly well whose hand it was.

"Asuma-sensei. I know that you're going to say I'm stupid for coming here alone, but I just had to come. And no, I'm not going back!"

Team 10's leader chuckled as he heard the blonde's words. Ino turned to look back at the man with a questioning look. "Ino, I'm not going to stop you. Hecks, if Sakura gets to go, I think you should, too. You don't want to lose to her, now do you? Go. I'll stay and help Shikamaru."

Ino smiled brightly and hugged her sensei. "Thanks, Asuma-sensei."

With one last took at the jounin, the mind-possessor went on her way. Ino finally arrived to witness a horrible sight. Sasuke was being pummeled by a horrible creature, and Sakura was being crushed against a tree. Ino looked all over for any signs of Naruto. She finally spotted him and was glad to see he was okay. That feeling soon went away when she redirected her attention to Sasuke.

The obsidian-eyed boy screamed in pain as he was thrown carelessly across the forest. He landed on a fallen tree trunk, and lied motionless as he watched Naruto take over his fight. "Dammit!" Sasuke yelled with all his might; through all the exhaustion, he slowly closed his eyes and passed out.

"Oh my goodness, W-w-w-what's going on?" Ino stayed hidden as she witnessed Gaara transform into his full-demon stage. At seeing Shakaku, Naruto tried countless times to summon the frog that had sworn loyalty to him. After many attempts, the orange-wearing ninja seceded and went on to a full on battle with Gaara.

When the coast was clear, Ino rushed off to go see Sasuke. "Sasuke? A-a-are you…Sasuke! Say something!" Tears poured down the Yamanaka's face as she checked to see if Sasuke was still alive. Relief spread through her body when she confirmed that he was in fact breathing.

Just then, Ino remembered Sakura and rushed to her aid. The unconscious pink-haired nin was breathing but was still strapped to tree by Gaara's sand. Ino figured that since Gaara was longer there to control the sand, Sakura would be freed. But as much as the blonde tugged, Sakura would not be completely freed from the sand's clutched.

Ino finally gave up but was at least glad that the Haruno was alive. With one last look at her emerald-eyed friend, Ino walked back to where Sasuke was lying. The cerulean-eyed blonde smiled as she stared at his sleeping form. She sat near him and moved Sasuke's head on top of her legs.

Sasuke finally began to stir and when he opened his eyes, Ino was staring at the destroyed forest. "Yamanaka. What are you doing here?"

"Oh! Hi, Sasuke!" Ino was still absent-mindedly running her hand through the Uchiha's hair. He gave her a questioning look as she did so, and then Ino pulled her hand away quickly. "Right. Sorry. I just…I wanted to see if you were okay."

Sasuke stared at Ino and then turned his head away. "Sasuke, is something wrong?"

"Hn."

The blonde used her hand to force Sasuke to look at her and stared at him with deep concern. "Uchiha. What's wrong? Do I have to use my Shintenshin to get my answer?"

"Uchiha, now is it? Hn." Sasuke said with a smirk.

"Sasuke, c'mon. I know we're not close like you are with Sakura, or how we use to be, but…I'm worried about you. I do care about you. Just…please tell me. Trust me."

The avenger avoided eye contact and then realized his head was resting on Ino's legs. "Ino, why am I resting on top of your legs?" A small, yet evident, blush appeared on both Ino and Sasuke's cheeks.

"It's nothing like that, I swear. I just thought you'd bee more comfortable here than lying on the hard tree trunk. I'm sorry. I can move if you want?"

"No. It's fine. Just don't tell anyone, got it?"

The Yamanaka smile brightly and raised her hand as if on oath. "I promise. But you have to tell me what's wrong. I know something is wrong with you."

"Hn. I don't want to talk about it."

"Sasuke, I think I know you better than anyone. Not because I stalk you or anything!" Ino laughed as Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Fine, I do stalk you. But that's only when I get bored. And who can blame me? You're so damn sexy." Ino blushed as Sasuke smirked and rolled his eyes simultaneously.

"Fine. I'm angry."

"Care to elaborate?"

"No."

"Fine. But just to tell you, I could figure it out if I wanted to. After all, I am a girl, and a Yamanaka, and excellent kunoichi. So blah!" The cerulean-eyed girl stuck out her tongue and then the unthinkable happened. "Sasuke! Oh my goodness. You laughed. Is this some kind of alternate universe or something?" Ino chuckled lightly.

"Very funny, Yamanaka."

"It's Ino. Not Yamanaka. That's too formal."

"Whatever." Ino gave Sasuke a look, and the boy couldn't help but sigh. "Ino."

"Thank you. Well, I'll be back, Sasuke. I'm going to go see if Naruto is okay." The Yamanaka felt Sasuke tense up but she kept quite. She knew his male ego had been hurt and didn't want to push her luck by asking him more questions. The last Uchiha survivor sat up and stared at Ino's form disappear. The lightest blush appeared on Sasuke's features as he remembered how comfortable he had been. "Ino."

The blonde got to Naruto as soon as his and Gaara's battle had ended. Ino saw as Temari and Kankuro helped their baby brother to his feet. Ino began walking towards Naruto to help him up, but the bright blonde boy was already to his feet. Ino got as far as a few feet from him.

Suddenly, Gaara's eyes caught those of Ino. The blonde felt as if all the air had been sucked out of her; her heart began beating rapidly and confusion spread through spread through Ino's body. Shouldn't she despise this guy for hurting Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura? Shouldn't she be afraid of him? He had a demon inside him, for goodness sake!

But no. Ino wasn't angry or scared of Gaara. Something inside of her was attracted to that look in the Sand nin's eyes. By the look in his eye, Ino could tell that he felt the same thing, too. Their eyes stayed interlocked as Temari and Kankuro left with Gaara.

"Ino! Hi! What are you doing here? Ino? Hello?" Naruto waved his hand in front of the blonde's face.

"Huh?" Ino blinked back into reality. "Naruto. Hi! I…uh…thought you guys needed help. Well, I took care of Sasuke and Sakura. They're alive. Let's go back?"

"Yeah, okay." A perplexed Naruto answered. "Lead the way."

Ino returned the Uzumaki's smile and turned to go back to the other two Konoha genin. But on their way there, all Ino could think about was of the red-haired boy. Something about him awakened a feeling as Ino had never felt before. But the more she thought about it, Ino realized that she had felt like this before. That feeling had been only for Sasuke. What the hell was going on with her emotions?


	2. Ch 1:Team 10, Team 7, Gaara, Ramen Stand

Hahaha I'm glad people actually like this story! lol Well don't forget to leave me a review!

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--Chapter One: Team 10, Team 7, Gaara, Ramen Stand--

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Six years had passed since the Chuunin Exams that had everyone glued to their seats, and where most of the contestants were part of the Rookie nine. Now all of the members of the Rookie Nine and Team Gai were successful jounin—and some were even part of the ANBU Black Ops. But no matter their ninja status, the team never lost contact with each other. As was the case of Team 10.

"Shika, I've known you for years and you're still the same lazy ass you were when we were genin." The ever-loud blonde stated as she lied next to Shikamaru watching the clouds.

"Ino, we'll be able to change Shikamaru." Chouji told his cerulean-eyes friend as he sat below a shaded tree. He happily started eating a bag of chips.

"Yeah, Ino. Don't try. It's too troublesome to change after so many years. I mean it." the shadow-possessor rolled over on to his side and stared straight at Ino's face.

"Ah-huh. Whatever you say, Shika." Ino smirked as she looked at the clouds overhead. She suddenly directed her attention to a heart-shaped cloud and smiled fondly. "Gaara."

"Oh. Is Ino in love with her new best friend?" Chouji smirked as he looked at his daydreaming friend.

"What? No! My heart belongs to Sasuke. It always has." Sweat dropped down the Yamanaka's chin.

"I don't know, Ino. Every time we go to Suna, you two seem awfully close. I've never seen Gaara so happy. Even Temari says so. Are you sure nothing is going on between you two?" Shikamaru also reflected Ino a smirk.

A blush appeared on Ino's face as she watched her two old teammates star at her mischievously. Shikamaru was partially right, Whenever the Nara would go to visit Temari, he would invite Ino to come along. Once they'd arrive in Suna, Ino would hang out with Gaara and they'd talk for hours—well mostly she would, but still, he did talk to her. It shocked the blonde that the red-haired man knew more than three words.

"Shut up. Look, nothing is going on between us. We're just really good friends. Now drop it, or you'll feel the wrath of my Shintenshin."

"Okay, okay. Calm down, Ino." Shikamaru said as he stood up. "What do you say we go to the Barbeque?"

"Actually, I'm in the mood for ramen."

"I agree with Chouji, Let's go get ramen." Ino stood up and smirked. "By the way, Shikamaru, you're giving me a piggyback ride over there. I'm tired from all my Interrogation shifts."

"Troublesome woman." Shikamaru muttered. Ino hopped on top of Shikamaru's back, and the tri were off to Ichiraku's Ramen.

"Hey, Ino. Maybe you'll see Sasuke there."

"I'm counting on that, Chouji." Ino smiled as she drifted to a short sleep on Shikamaru's back.

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It was near sunset, and the old Team 7 was also hanging out. Since it was near dinner time, the Uzumaki proposed that they go out to eat ramen—for old time's sake.

"Naruto. We practically hang out ever weekend and then go eat ramen. Can't you be a little more original? What do you propose we eat, Sasuke?" Sakura stared at Sasuke with heart-shaped eyes.

"Hn." Sasuke stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked alongside his teammates. "Ramen is fine."

Sakura pouted as Naruto cheered in the background. "Finally, Sasuke, you said something smart."

"Right."

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke walked through Konoha's streets. Nothing had changed between the trio in the past six years. Naruto was still in love with the pink-haired nin, who was in love with the obsidian-eyed man. But over the years, there was something that had changed within the group—or rather someone.

Sasuke had changed a lot over the years. He was till power hungry and craving revenge, but he was a little more sociable. And though he wouldn't admit it, Sasuke had also started developing something for a certain interrogator.

That was something else that changed with Sasuke. The Lady Hokage often paired him up with Ino on mission since they worked perfectly together. During those missions, Sasuke and Ino got to know each other better and grew much closer—much to Sakura's dislike.

"So, Naruto. When is Gaara coming? Better yet, why is he coming?" The mildly curious Sakura asked as soon as the legendary Team 7 finished ordering.

At hearing the pink-haired girl's words, Sasuke directed his attention to Naruto and Sakura. After their first Chuunin Exams, the orange-wearing nin kept contact with the Sabaku. They actually became great friends, something that sort of pissed Sasuke off. There was still a bit of bad blood from Sasuke's part after the battle with the Sand shinobi,

"Gaara's coming?"

Naruto laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. He knew how Sasuke felt about Gaara, and he could tell Sasuke wasn't too keen on having him come to Konoha. "Well, yeah. You see, since he's the new Kazekage, he needs to be married soon. And he said he found the perfect girl, but she lives here. And that's why he's coming." The blonde man clapped his hands together and got his chopsticks out. "Thanks, Ayame. Ramen guy."

Sasuke and Sakura gaped at Naruto as they processed what Naruto had just said. Gaara liked someone? They shook their head, along with the shock, and started eating their ramen as well.

Just then, Sasuke heard a familiar feminine voice. "Chouji! Stop eating so much! You're going to get sick like last time! Shikamaru, help me!"

"Ino, there's no use. Besides, Chouji is a big boy. He knows what he's doing."

"Yeah, Ino! I'm a big boy."

"Yeah, that's kind of hard to miss." Ino tried to pry the bowl of ramen from the Akimichi's hands.

"No, Ino. Stop. Look! It's Sasuke!"

"Really? Where?" Ino searched the ramen stand and finally spotted the Uchiha. With a smile, she made her way over to Team 7. "Hi, Sasuke!" The Yamanaka jumped on Sasuke's back and greeted the other two. "Hi, Naruto! Forehead."

"Hi, Ino!" Naruto smiled towards his fellow blond friend.

"Pig." Sakura said as she glared towards Ino.

Sasuke smirked as he turned his head to the side to look at Ino. "Hey, Ino."

Ino smiled fondly at Sasuke and started light conversation. Then something hit her. "Maybe, I should get off of you." The Uchiha nodded, but as soon as Ino sat next to him, he resumed their conversation. Suddenly, Ino stopped mid-sentence and looked like she was in total shock.

"Gaara! Hey! I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow." Naruto yelled as the gourd-wearing man walked to stand before him.

"Hi, Naruto." Gaara greeted his blonde friends, and looked around the ramen stand. Then he spotted her.

Ino got up from her seat and left a bewildered Sasuke behind. She slowly made her way towards her red-haired friend and smiled sweetly. Sasuke finally turned around and noticed Ino blushing. The raven-haired Uchiha sent a menacing glare towards Gaara.

"Hey…Gaara." Ino continued to smile towards Gaara, who was smiling right at her. "Well, I have to go everyone. I'll…I'll see you later." The blonde's eyes never left those of Gaara's as she backed away from the crowd. She finally made her way to her teammates.

'Oi, Gaara." Shikamaru nodded his head towards the Sabaku and turned to Ino. "So nothing is going on, eh?" he and Chouji snickered as their teammate turned various shades of red. "Let's go. It's getting late."

"Yeah, Ino. Let's go. I still have to go eat dinner at my house." Chouji pronounced.

The Yamanaka turned to gape at the Akimichi. "You're still going to go eat? Chouji, you're going to get sick."

"How troublesome. Ino, let's go." With a sigh and a nod, Ino left with her former teammates.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was still glaring at his former opponent. 'The hell? Why did Ino talk to him?" The Uchiha let out a frustrated sigh as Naruto continued to talk to Gaara,

"Hey, Gaara?" Sakura finally talked, though she was still a little scared of the Sand shinobi.

Gaara, who had finally stopped looking in the direction Ino had left, redirected his attention to the group. "Yes?"

"How do you know, Ino?" The pink-haired kunoichi timidly asked.

"She comes to my village often, because Shikamaru. When he goes to visit Temari—my sister—we spend time together." At hearing the Sabaku's words, Sasuke stood from his seat and stormed off.

"Uhm…I'll see you guys later." Sakura said as she rushed to follow Sasuke.

"Uh, okay." A slightly disappointed Naruto called out. "So, the girl you like is Ino, isn't it?" Gaara slowly nodded in response.


	3. Ch 2:Stay with Me

I'd have to say that this is definitely my favorite chapter! Hahaha And you'll see why! Also, so my dear friend Drunksonic won't like freak out anymore-lol-here is the SasuIno moment I promised. Also, the Sasuke and Sakura interaction is actually pretty important to the rest of the story, so that's why I had to put it there! xD Please review!

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--Chapter Two: Stay with Me--

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Sasuke was fuming. He was angry! Hell, he was beyond angry—he was pissed off. How the hell could Ino have left him to talk to Gaara? Seriously, what the hell? He was so much better than that lousy Gaara no Sabaku.

"Sasuke! Sasuke, wait up!" An emerald-eyed woman jogged to catch up with the avenger.

"Go away, Sakura."

Sakura's hand shot out and grabbed Sasuke's arm. "No, Sasuke. I want to know what's wrong."

"Hn." Sasuke merely stared at Sakura. She wasn't going to get anything out of him.

"Sasuke, is this because Ino left you and went to Gaara?" The Uchiha stuffed his hands into his pockets as his eyes trailed to the ground. "I'm not stupid, you know. I thought you were only glaring at Gaara because of the fight you guys had, but then…" Sakura's voice trailed off as she moved her hand to wipe the tears that were falling down on her face. "Then I remembered how you were looking at Ino before he got there. You didn't even sense him when he arrived."

Sasuke continued staring intensely at the ground. He silently swore and finally looked back at Sakura. Damn her for knowing him too well. "So what do you want me to say?"

"I need to know why you like her. What does she have that I don't?"

"Look, Sakura. I don't know why I feel the way I do about her. I just do."

The wind swayed in both Sakura and Sasuke's hair. The clear liquid quickly fell down the Haruno's face as she stared into Sasuke's eyes. "Sasuke…I love you." She closed the space between their bodies and embraced the raven-haired man.

Sasuke's body tensed up as Sakura cried even harder. He pulled away and grabbed the pink-haired nin by the shoulders. "Sakura. Listen to me. I feel something for you, just not in that way."

"B-but don't you think that you can develop feelings for me in the future?"

Sasuke dropped his arms and once again looked to the ground. He shook his head from side to side and looked back up. "I can only see you as a sister, Sakura. Nothing more." He took her in an embrace and let her go. "I have to go."

The Uchiha turned around and left the Haruno standing alone. As her eyes watched his figure disappear, Sakura said, "It's time I let you go then."

* * *

Sasuke continued to walk after the sun had set. His anger had finally cooled down. As he gathered his thoughts again, his mind traveled to the image of Ino. He remembered the first mission they had been assigned to do together,

"_Ino Yamanaka. Sasuke Uchiha. You two will do a Cover mission and act as husband and wife._"_ The Lady Hokage gave them all the details as the two stared, shocked, at one another._

The mission had gone perfectly. That was the beginning of the now famous duo. After that mission, Sasuke started to spend time with Ino; his feelings for her developed shortly after that.

His mind finally traveled to the day's events. He remembered how happy he had felt when Ino had embraced him from behind. That feeling then turned into deep envy as he saw the way Ino looked at Gaara. "Damn him."

Suddenly, Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks. He had unknowingly walked all the way to the park. His facial expression turned to a smirk as he walked up to a blonde figure. "Hey, Yamanaka."

A smile spread across Ino's lips as she opened her eyes. "How many times do I have to say it's Ino?"

"Oh, I don't know. Quite a few times." A soft chuckle escaped Sasuke's lips.

The blonde stuck out her tongue and, with her index finger, lowered the skin under her eye. She then smiled and motioned for her now-teammate to lie next to her. Sasuke did so and put his hand under her head. He turned his head and smirked towards Ino.

"What? You've been smirking an awful lot lately." The Yamanaka said as she looked at Sasuke.

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"About?"

"Nothing you need to know about."

"But I want to know."

"Too bad."

"Tch. Fine then. I don't care." Ino's lips turned themselves into a pout as she looked at the Uchiha. "Please tell me?"

Sasuke supported himself by his elbows. He raised one eyebrow at the cerulean-eyed girl. "I thought you didn't care."

"Ha, no! You've known me for a while and you should have known I was lying." The Yamanaka said in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

The onyx-eyed boy thought about it for a while and felt Ino's intense stare. He leaned down to Ino's face and smirked. His lips were second away from Ino's. "I'm not telling you."

Ino could feel her heart beat faster as she felt him breathing in her lips. "O-oh, no?"

"Nope."

The Yamanaka regained her composure and reflected Sasuke's smirk. "Let's make a deal, then."

Sasuke's face showed his bewildering interest. "What kind of deal?"

Ino's mouth moved to come in contact with Sasuke's ear. "We race." The blonde's voice sent chills down the Uchiha's spine. "If I win, you tell me why you keep smirking."

"And if I win?" Sasuke was actually getting interested in the Yamanaka's proposal.

"If you win, you get to decide what you want. Deal?" Ino stared into Sasuke's eyes and waited for his answer.

The Uchiha stood up and extended a hand to help Ino up. "Deal."

Ino grinned as Sasuke helped her up. "Alright. We start here, go around those trees, and end up on the other end of the park. Got it?"

Sasuke nodded to show he comprehended. "When do we start?"

Next thing he knew, Ino was half way done with the race. Sasuke merely laughed. Ino thought she had the upper hand, but how wrong she was.

"Oh yeah! I'm going to win! Sucker." Ino snickered as she quickly sped through the trees. "What? Sasuke! Wha—but how? I didn't see you past me?"

Sasuke laughed as he walked towards the flustered woman. He once again stopped when he was inches away from her. "I believe I'm the winner and you owe me something."

Ino crossed her arms under her chest and glared at the Uchiha. "What do you want?"

"Stay with me tonight."

"Huh?" The ninjet's previous anger faded away; a bright red blush appeared on Ino's face.

"Stay. With me." Sasuke's obsidian eyes stares into Ino's baby-blue ones. "Nothing will happen, I swear. Just stay with me tonight."

The blonde smiled brightly and nodded her response. Sasuke smirked and grabbed Ino by the hand. They walked hand in hand to the Uchiha complex. Once there, they walked in and went to Sasuke's bedroom. It was fairly late, and both could feel the day's events taking a toll on them.

They climbed into bed and covered themselves with the bedspread. The Yamanaka blushed and looked at Sasuke timidly.

"What's wrong?" Concern was in Sasuke's voice.

"No, nothing. I'm fine. It's just…" The Uchiha waited for Ino to go on. "It's different from the missions, you know?"

"Yeah. Look, you don't have to stay if—."

"No!" A blush appeared on the mind possessor's face. She really had to get a control on herself. Sasuke, on the other hand, grinned at the blonde. She was so appealing when she blushed. "I mean its okay."

"Good. Let's get to sleep." The raven-haired boy was lying on his side and closed his eyes.

Ino lied awake as she played with her hair. 'I can't believe I'm here, and with Sasuke.' Her face then turned to face the avenger. "Sasuke."

"Mmm…" Ino listened to his rumbling answer.

"Can I scoot in closer?" Ino's timid words reached Sasuke's ears.

Sasuke opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow. He pulled the bedcover up and allowed Ino to get closer to him. Once her head was resting on top of his chest, the Uchiha encircled her with his arms. He felt as Ino fell into a deep slumber and chuckled lightly. He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes as well. "Goodnight, Ino."


	4. Ch 3:Proposal

Okay, if you haven't noticed, my fic goes from SasuIno moments to GaaIno moments and so forth. Here is chapter cuatro! Hehehe Enjoy. And don't forget to leave me a pretty review before you leave! Lamanth this is for you! Oh, I'm probably ending this by next month because I'm going to Mexico for a week! Cha! But I will continue to try to keep wrting! Well, please review!!

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--Chapter Four: Proposal--

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Sunlight hit Ino's eyes and she began to stir. She stretched her body and sat up. Ino looked at her surrounding as she came to realize that last night wasn't a dream. She was indeed in the Uchiha's bedroom. "Sasuke?"

Ino spotted a note on the desk next to the bed. She snatched it and read it carefully.

_Ino,  
I had to go to the Hokage's office. I was summoned to go on a mission. Help yourself to anything you want. Thanks for last night.  
—Sasuke._

The blonde giggled as she lied back down. "I can't believe I actually spent the night with Sasuke!" Ino squealed and a thought crossed her mind. "Does he like me? Sasuke…"

Ino turned her head and noticed the clock. "Oh crap! I'm late for work!" The Yamanaka fixed herself up and left Sasuke's house.

* * *

The purple-wearing nin stopped to catch her breath. She had finally reached the flower shop. She peered inside and noticed a tall blonde male at the counter. "Flip. My dad's already here."

Ino went inside the shop and smiled nervously. "Ino, darling. Where have you been?"

"Uhm…sleeping. Sorry, daddy. You know those long shifts I have in the Interrogation Department."

"Hmm…You work too hard, Ino. Well, I have to go." Inoichi said as he walked up to his daughter and gave her a kiss. "Bye, honey."

"Bye, daddy." Ino sighed happily as she put on her yellow apron. She sat behind the register and rested her head on the palm of her hand. She stayed like that for a while.

Hours passed and Ino still couldn't forget the previous night's events. Her lips had been so close to Sasuke's that she could literally feel them. If only he would have kissed her, she would have been the happiest woman alive.

But at least she got to spend the night with him. Of course nothing had happened, just as Sasuke had promised but still. Ino could still remember his strong embrace as she felt his chest rise up and down. Ino had been so warm next to him—it was the most comfortable sleep she had had in years.

"Hi, Ino!" A brighter blonde greeted the Yamanaka with a wide smile.

"Woah. Hey there, Naruto."

"So…Ino?" Naruto said as he stared at Ino with curious eyes.

"Yes?" The dull-blonde looked at the equally-loud mouthed man.

"Nothing." Naruto looked suspiciously from side to side.

"Naruto. What are you hiding from me?"

"N-nothing. W-what makes you think I'm hiding something from you? That's crazy talk! I'm not hiding anything. Nope!"

Ino raised an eyebrow. "Naruto. Tell me or I'll hurt you."

Naruto thought about it and found it best to fulfill the blonde's wishes. He nodded his head and answered her. "Fine. I'll tell you, but it's a surprise."

"A surprise? Huh? Wait! Naruto!" The Yamanaka called out as the Uzumaki ran out the flower shop door. "Damn you, Uzumaki."

Just as she was about to sit back down, Ino heard the bell on the door ring yet again. The Yamanaka looked at the entrance and saw Naruto with a bright smile. "Naruto, why'd you leave?"

The orange-wearing jounin didn't let his smile fade as he answered the woman's question. "Because I went to get your surprise…or rather guy."

Ino heard Naruto's laugh as her mind pondered who he could have brought. "Could it be Sasuke? No, he said he was going on a mission. Then who?" The Yamanaka, perplexed, asked the blue-eyed man. "Who is it?"

"It's this guy right here." Naruto walked to the door, where a tall red-head stood with a smirk on his face.

Ino's face brightened up as she left her spot behind the register. She quickly got to Gaara and jumped on top of him. A shocked Gaara merely smirked as he held onto Ino to prevent her from falling. "Hey, Ino."

"Gaara! I've missed you!" She kissed his cheek, causing a small blush to appear on the Sabaku's cheek.

"I have, too." Gaara said in a small voice. His head suddenly turned sideways to see a snickering Naruto. Gaara gave him a menacing look, and the Uzumaki took this as a hint to leave.

"Eh…I have to go now." A nervous Naruto said as he walked out the door.

"Okay! Bye, Naruto!" An oblivious Ino yelled out.

"Hn." The Sand shinobi said as he turned to face the girl who had his neck encircled. He raised an eyebrow towards the blonde, who blushed a little.

Ino tucked her long bang behind her ear and laughed out loud. "Sorry. I think I should be on my own two feet now."

Gaara smirked as he silently nodded. He allowed the blonde to get off of him and watched as Ino flattened out her clothes. He took the time to look over the blonde's form as she did so; Gaara couldn't help but blush. "Stupid hormones."

"What did you say, Gaara?" The Yamanaka curiously asked.

Gaara quickly shook his head. "Nothing."

Ino eyed him suspiciously but shook it off by smiling. She grabbed him by the hand and led him to the seat behind the register. "Sit there. I'll be right back."

Gaara did as he was told, and watched as Ino walked to the back of the store. He stood transfixed by the small of Ino's back. He quickly took that thought out of his mind and replaced it with another. 'I have to tell her.'

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" Ino handed Gaara a glass of water.

"You'll find out soon enough." A smirk appeared on Gaara's face before taking a sip from the glass. He had meant what he had said. After all, the wedding had to happen pretty soon.

"Hmm…fine. But you better tell me." Ino smiled fondly towards him.

The green-eyed red-head merely grunted and grabbed the blonde's hand. He pulled her towards him, and managed to make her sit on his lap. Ino was shocked but didn't objet; Gaara put his arms around her waist, and interwined his fingers with those of Ino. He inhaled her scent and smiled.

Gaara had never touched, talked, or felt as much emotions as he had with Ino. Something about her made it so easy to be with her. Her personality was a great asset as well. With all the time they spend together, Gaara began to develop feelings for the blonde. He had Shikamaru and Temari to thank for that. Had they never gotten together, Gaara and Ino would have never gotten closer.

Ino also thanked the couple. Besides Shikamaru, and especially Sasuke, Ino had never felt so comfortable with a man. Even in the silence, the Yamanaka was happy with Gaara.

Then out of the blue, Ino began to laugh—disrupting the silence between them.

Gaara looked at Ino with curious eyes. "What?"

"I just remembered something that Shikamaru and Chouji told me yesterday. They thought that there was something between us. Isn't it funny?"

"Ino. I have to tell you something." The Sabaku's serious tone caused the blonde to stop her laughing. Gaara moved Ino so her face looked at his. "At the Kazekage, I need to get married soon."

Ino smiled, but had no clue of where Gaara was getting at. Or rather she did, but she decided to ignore it. "Really?"

"Yeah. I think I found the perfect woman, too." As Gaara said these words, a possessive feeling tugged at Ino's heart.

"Who?"

The red-haired man stared into Ino's eyes and smirked. He started to close the space between them and he felt something inside him bubble up. His lips brushed those of Ino's and felt her rhythmatic breathing.

Ino sat eye-wide as she felt Gaara coming closer and closer to her lips. Her heart began to beat faster than usual. Then it happened: Gaara's lips were on Ino's.

Gaara pulled away and showed his chagrin to Ino. The cerulean-eyed was into total shock; she was still trying to process everything that had occurred as Gaara said, "You. Ino, marry me?"


	5. Ch 4:Ino's Predicament

For some reason, my chapters are getting smaller. Hahaha Well, I'mma fix that with this chapter. xD Again, please don't leave without reviewing. I really want to know what you think of this story so far. Well, enjoy.

* * *

--Chapter Four: Ino's Predicament--

* * *

It had been a couple of days since Gaara's proposal, and Ino honestly didn't know what to do. She was torn between two guys she knew she had feelings for: Sasuke and Gaara.

"Ugh." The Yamanaka fell back, landing with a small _thump!_ on the flower-filled grass. She remembered the conversation she had with Gaara after he asked _that_ question.

_Gaara pulled away and showed his chagrin to Ino. The cerulean-eyed woman processed everything that had occurred as Gaara said, "You. Ino, marry me?"_

"_M-me?" Ino could feel the remaining warmth of Gaara's lips on her own._

"_Yeah. So will you?" Gaara said as he tightened his grip on Ino's waist._

_Ino looked down to the red-head's arms and smiled lightly. "Gaara, you know I love you, but…" Ino's head moved to meet his green eyes. "I don't know."_

_Gaara gaped at the blonde currently sitting on his lap. "What? Is it because of Uchiha?" The green-eyed man watched as Ino avoided eye contact. Gaara moved his head to follow her eyes. "Ino, is it?"_

_The Yamanaka sighed as she finally looked into Gaara's eyes. "Maybe. Look, you know I feel something for him." Gaara's shoulders began to tense up. "And you also know I feel something for you…or at least you should know."_

"_You do?" Bewilderment and joy showed in Gaara's eyes._

"_Yeah." A blush appeared in Ino's cheeks. "Let me just have a few days to think about it, okay?" She encircled his neck and kissed him on the cheek. With one last hug, Ino stood up and smiled at Gaara. Thankfully, customers began to pile in._

"What do I do now?" Ino said as the wind blew by. For one part, her heart had always belonged to Sasuke. After the night they spent together, she began to feel something more for him. Being with him just felt right.

On the other hand, there was Gaara. She felt so comfortable around him. He wasn't the monster everyone thought he was. Once Ino got to know Gaara for what he really was—human—she started to like him. He was shy, sweet and actually very cute.

Ino bit her lip gently and closed her eyes. She had told Gaara she would give him an answer in a few days, and she thought she should give him an answer soon. But first, she needed to confirm something. The Yamanaka stood up and walked to the Uchiha's house.

Ino finally reached Sasuke's house and walked up to the door. She once again bit her lip as she balled up her hand into a fist. Her sharp nails pierced her palm. Ino then took a deep breath and nervously knocked on the door.

After a few moments, a dark-haired man answered the door. At seeing Ino on his doorstep, Sasuke began to smirk. "Hey."

Ino smiled at seeing the Uchiha. 'I guess I woke him up. Oops." Sasuke's hair was messy as usual, but his voice was groggy and his eyes had that drowsy look in them. In addition, he was just in sweats—no shirt whatsoever. 'Definitely sexy.' Ino thought with a blush.

"Hi, Sasuke. Sorry to wake you up."

With a smirk, Sasuke replied to Ino's comment. "Don't worry about it. Come in."

Ino tucked her blonde bang behind her ear and stepped into the Uchiha's mansion. As she went inside, she heard the door close behind her. Then a pair of strong arms landed on her shoulders, guiding her towards the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen, Ino hopped on top of the kitchen counter. Sasuke went to the refrigerator and poured out two glasses of orange juice. He handed the Yamanaka her glass and grinned at her, "Have you eaten yet?"

"Nah. Not yet." Just then, Ino's stomach began to growl—much to Ino's embarrassment.

"Sit tight then. I'll make us something." Sasuke said as he left Ino's side.

"I'll help you."

"You sure?"

Ino nodded and Sasuke shrugged. He helped the Yamanaka down and the two started their cooking. After Ino diced some tomatoes, onions, and peppers, and Sasuke beat some eggs, they began to cook their omelets.

Sasuke and Ino laughed and talked while they ate. After they were done eating, the couple washed their dished. Once they were done with that, Sasuke led Ino to the living room couch. They sat next to each other, and Sasuke turned to look into the blonde's eyes.

"Ino, I'm sorry about leaving you the other day."

As soon as she heard those words, Ino remembered why she had come in the first place. "Oh, don't worry about it. How was your mission anyways? When did you come back?"

"Today actually. It was good…I guess." Ino laughed at his comment and smiled at him.

"Sasuke, I need to ask you…how…do you feel about me?"

"What?" The Uchiha was taken aback by the question.

Ino said no more but crashed her lips onto those of Sasuke. The Uchiha was more shocked by Ino's actions than by her words. Ino, however, didn't care. She needed to know how he felt about her.

After a second or so, the Yamanaka felt deeply discouraged. Nothing was happening; they were just there. Ino decided to pull away, but as soon as she did, Sasuke began to follow her.

An immense joy spread over both their hearts. Sasuke's hands landed on her waist as Ino encircled his neck. Sasuke's tongue forced itself into Ino's mouth. It explored the walls of her mouth as Ino managed to rub their tongues together.

Sasuke slowly started to lean forward, causing Ino to fall back on the couch. Sasuke's hand started to travel throughout her body and began to kiss her neck. Ino smiled with pure ecstasy. She grabbed Sasuke's head and kissed his lips over again. In that kiss was pure passion, passion that neither had experienced before.

Sasuke and Ino finally pulled away from each other—the need for air being a little to great. With a blush on both their faces, Sasuke helped Ino sit up again. The two did their best to avoid eye contact.

Sasuke cleared his throat and Ino touched her lips. Neither could hide the smile on their faces.

"So does that mean you like me?"

"Ino. I like you." A look of guilt appeared on his face.

"Sasuke, that's all I needed to—."

"No, Ino, listen to me. Yes, I do feel something for you, but I can't be with you?" Sasuke cut Ino off.

"What? Why?" A hurt look appeared on the blonde's face.

The Uchiha looked at Ino's face. It pained him to see her looking so hurt. "I'm sorry. My revenge comes first."

Anger took over Ino's body as she heard Sasuke's words. "You're saying you can't be with me because of that stupid revenge of yours?"

"Look, Ino. I've ignored my revenge for too long. It's time it became my focus again."

"And why the hell can't you be with me then?" Ino felt her eyes begin to sting. Slowly, tears began to pour down Ino's face from all the anger she felt. How dare Sasuke lead her on like that? He liked her dammit, just as much as she liked him. She knew it. Why couldn't they be together?

"Because I can only feel hate towards Itachi. Being with you would only ruin that." After saying this, Sasuke ran his hair through his hair and sighed. He hated seeing Ino like this. It wasn't like her. She was supposed to be the happy chipper one. And for him to know that he was causing this sad angry Ino, it 

was killing him inside. But she had to understand that they couldn't be. Now matter how much he liked her.

"Sasuke, your revenge is stupid. Leave it. You can be so much better off with me."

They once again looked into each other's eyes, but this time there was no smirk. Ino could see a look that begged her to understand. All that Sasuke could find was a pleading look, begging him to forget everything. The Uchiha gathered her in a strong embrace.

Ino felt weak in his arms. She pressed her face against his shirt and cried her heart out. The Yamanaka held on tighter to Sasuke's shirt, as she tried to control her crying. "Sasuke," she hiccupped. " I love you."

Sasuke's eyes widened at Ino's confession. Hearing those words felt so right to him, but he couldn't give in. "Ino…" He felt Ino's lips coming closer to his, and he felt as he leaned in closer. Next thing he knew, they were sharing a sweet kiss. Despite the tears, it was amazing, but he couldn't do this. He pulled away from the kiss and said, "Ino, I can't."

The Yamanaka was so sure that Sasuke felt the same, and that he would repeat those three little words she longed to hear. But none of that mattered now, because all she felt was anger. "You know what, Sasuke. Screw you!"

Ino pulled away from Sasuke and ran out of his house. Sasuke sat there, angry at himself. He hit the couch with immense force and fell back against the couch. 'Dammit. Why didn't I just tell her the truth? Stupid!'

* * *

Ino was now far away from Sasuke's house. She quickly ran towards Naruto's house. Once she arrived, she ferociously knocked on the door.

An orange-wearing nin answered the door and greeted the Yamanaka. "Hey, Ino. What's up?"

"Naruto, I hear Gaara is staying with you. Is he here by any chance?"

At hearing Ino's flustered words, Gaara walked up to the door. Naruto stepped aside and let the couple converse alone.

"Ino. What's wrong?" Gaara looked at Ino's eyes, which were still pretty puffy from all the crying she had done.

"Gaara. If your offer still stands, my answer is yes. I will marry you."


	6. Ch 5:My Decision is Final

Wow, polemical chapter last one, that was. xD Everyone's wondering about Sasuke! lol Well, here's a bit of his reaction; more will be explained in the next one. Hehehehe Remember to leave me a review, I want to know what you think! Anywho, enjoy!

* * *

--Chapter Five: My Decision is Final--

* * *

"Ino, are you sure this is what you what?" A blonde clad in a green shirt asked the woman before her for the umpteenth time today.

"Yes, ma'am." Ino said through clenched teeth. Honestly, the nerve of people. As soon as she told people she was engaged to the Kazekage, they all asked the same question: are you sure? Gosh! Gaara loved her and wanted to be with her—unlike a certain, stupid Uchiha.

"But Ino, honey. You're still too young to be married!" Inoichi, who was sitting next to his daughter, said in a desperate tone.

"Daddy, I've known Gaara for years now."

"Ino." The Yamanaka redirected her attention to the Godaime. "Not that this wouldn't be the perfect opportunity for a permanent treaty between Konoha and Suna, but," Tsunade looked carefully at the Yamanaka, "I thought something was going on between you and Uchiha."

"Don't mention that bastard to me." Anger was burning in Ino's eyes.

"Ino!" The tall blonde man yelled out. He was till getting use to the idea of his baby girl marrying someone, and to hear her use such words—oh the horror!

"Sorry." The Yamanaka muttered, thought she didn't mean it.

'Ah…so that's what it is.' Tsunade had her chin under her fingers. 'The Uchiha did something to piss her off and now she's marrying Gaara. Interesting…It's going to be fun watching how this turns out.'

"Excuse me, Tsuande-same? If that's all, can we go now?" Ino said in an urgent voice. She just really wanted to get away from there now.

"Fine. The wedding will be held in a month—that should be enough time." Ino slowly nodded. "When the wedding is over, you and Gaara will leave for Suna. You can leave now."

"Thank you!" The two Yamanaka's stood up and bowed. They walked out the door and were surprised to find Gaara standing there.

Ino smiled at her soon-to-be-husband and greeted him with a hug. "What are you doing here?"

Gaara felt warmth spread through his body as he felt Ino's arms encircle his neck. "I came to find you."

"How thoughtful of you." She was just about to peck Gaara on the lips when Ino felt someone pull her away. "Daddy!"

"I have to have a little chat with Gaara." Inoichi said in a stern voice. "Listen, you. You better take care of Ino or I will…" He stopped mid-sentence as he came to realize something. What could he do to Gaara? The Sabaku could hurt him in a second. So Inoichi decided to leave it at that. "Take good care of her."

Gaara merely nodded his head and watched as his future father-in-law walked away. Ino walked up to Gaara once more and intertwined her fingers with those of the red-head, "Sorry about that."

"Hn. I'll just have to get use to it."

"That's for sure." Ino chuckled, causing Gaara to smirk. "Let's go for a walk."

Gaara shrugged, but led Ino out the exit. As soon as they got out, the couple began to walk through Konoha's streets. But not too soon as they started walking, Ino and Gaara heard the villagers murmur about them.

"They're together?"

"I heard they're getting married."

"But didn't she love Sasuke?"

Ino groaned and looked at her companion. He looked equally annoyed. "Let's go somewhere else." The Shintenshin user heard the man's curt words.

Ino nodded and showed him an apologetic grin. The cerulean-eyed woman led Gaara to her sanctuary. It was a wonderful flower field, where the peacefulness and quietness of it all just captured you.

Ino let go of Gaara's hand and began to twirl around. She finally stopped and noticed the Sabaku sitting down. He was smirking right at her. Ino reflected him a smile as she sat next to him.

"Ino. I hope you like living in Suna." Gaara turned to look at the blonde. His words sounded hopeful.

"I hope so, too."

Gaara's face began to get closer and closer to Ino's. The blonde smiled once his lips finally reached hers. The kiss didn't last long, for Gaara pulled away quickly.

"Sorry." With his complexion, Gaara's blush was more then evident.

Ino giggled lightly and caressed his cheek. Ino tackled Gaara to the ground. The blonde laughed as she realized she was the only one allowed to do that. Ino's head rested on Gaara's chest, while he had an arm around her body.

The two stayed in that same position and eventually fell asleep. None of the two noticed that three certain jounin were looking straight at them.

* * *

The members of the old Team7 stared at the sight before the. They had happened to walk by on their walk to their old training ground. Neither Sakura, Naruto, nor Sasuke had planned on seeing what they saw. At least, not Sakura or Sasuke.

"What's going on there?" A slightly confused Sakura asked. She looked back to notice Sasuke glaring at Gaara.

"Didn't you know? They're getting married!" An oblivious Naruto exclaimed.

"What?" Sakura yelled out. Sasuke was also taken aback by the statement, but tried not to say anything.

'The hell? Is that why she came to me?' Sasuke pondered on this question as he remembered the kissed he and Ino shared. Then he looked at Ino in Gaara's arms. Envy spread throughout his body. 'Damn him! Ino is supposed to be mine, not his…but that's my fault. Dammit! Why did I screw this up?'

"Yeah. Gaara asked Ino to marry him about a week ago and she agreed. Isn't that great?"

"Yeah…It is…" Sakura said in a concerned voice. 'I wonder how Sasuke is taking this.' The Haruno once again looked at the Uchiha's face, which was a mixture of anger, sadness, and confusion. "Let's go, shall we?"

"Okay!" Naruto exclaimed. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke left the place they had previously been walking on. Sasuke didn't say a word the rest of the day. He had really messed up.

* * *

After three weeks, Sasuke still didn't talk to anyone. The Uchiha only replied in monosyllable words and avoided any human contact at all. All the silence was even unusual for him.

The one who really noticed something was wrong was Sakura, since Ino hadn't talked to Sasuke since that unfaithful day at his house. She didn't know what to do and decided to turn to someone who knew the Uchiha well. Someone who could get something out of him.

"Naruto."The medical nin ran to catch up with the bright blonde man.

"Yes, Sakura."

"Can you do me a favor?" Sakura timidly asked.

"Anything!" The Uzumaki thought that the Haruno was finally going to ask him out on a date. But what he got was nothing of the sort.

"Talk to Sasuke. There's something wrong with him, and I can't get through to him."

"Oh." A slightly disappointed Naruto said. "Okay, I will." Just as he was about to leave, a hand shot out to grab him.

"And Naruto? Would you like to go eat ramen with me later? Just the two of us?" Butterflies started fluttering in Sakura's stomach.

A bright smile appeared on Naruto's face as he yelled, "I'd love to, Sakura!" With one last look, Naruto went off to find Sasuke.

* * *

It didn't take Naruto that long to find the Uchiha. As always, Sasuke was off training. Naruto approached Sasuke and the blonde man noticed Sasuke furiously throwing shuriken at a target board. Bull's eye. Bull's eye. Bull's eye.

"Sasuke? Can I talk to you?"

"What do you want?" Sasuke's cold words went through Naruto's spine like a cold chill.

"Well, you haven't been yourself lately. What's wrong?" Sasuke didn't say a word, so Naruto decided to continue talking. "Sasuke, you've been acting like this since we saw Gaara and Ino—."

"Shut up, dobe!" Menacing eyes turned to look at Naruto.

Naruto tried to piece everything together. The sudden brooding and depression, Gaara and Ino's wedding, Ino… 'Oh my gosh! Sasuke likes Ino! That's why he's acting like this!"

"Sasuke, you like Ino. Don't you?" Sasuke turned back to his training and ignored the question. "Tell me. Is this why you're acting this way?" At seeing that Sasuke wasn't going to give in easily, Naruto kept on persistently asking.

Then Sasuke couldn't take it anymore. "Leave me alone, Naruto." The raven-haired man then gathered his shuriken and left. However, before leaving, Sasuke warned Naruto not to follow him—or he'll regret it.

At seeing how Sasuke reacted, Naruto couldn't help but laugh. "He likes Ino." As he said this statement out loud, Naruto came to realize something. "Oh crap. Sasuke likes Ino! The wedding!" Naruto then quickly ran to find the soon-to-be-bride.


	7. Ch 6:We're Here For You, Ino

Chapter before the finale. xD Gah…I love Naruto here. He's so awesome. xD Mmm...The last chapter is like half-way typed. Heheheh I hope to end this like by Saturday because I think I'm leaving Sunday so yeah...Well, read, review, and do all those shinanagins and tell me what you think. xD Enjoy!!

* * *

--Chapter Six: We're Here for You, Ino--

* * *

Naruto raced throughout Konoha trying to find Ino. After hours of searching and asking, Naruto found the Shintenshin-user sitting alone on top of a wall. Taking a chance to catch his breath, the whisker-faced man walked up to Ino. "Hey."

Snapping out of the trance she had been in, Ino turned to find Naruto hopping up to sit next to her. She laughed as she saw him struggle to get up the wall. The Yamanaka helped him up and smiled. "Hey, Whisker-face."

The Uzumaki stuck out his tongue and watched as the Yamanaka laughed. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking. I heard Forehead finally asked you out." Ino teased.

"Yeah." A blush appeared on Naruto's face.

"Took her long enough." Ino looked at the sight of people walking past them. 'None of them have a care in a world.'

Naruto noticed Ino's distant look and decided to ask her about it. "Ino. Is there something wrong? You don't seem like yourself."

"I…don't know." Ino's voice began to crack.

"Is it because of the wedding?" He paused for a moment and said, "And Sasuke?"

Ino gave Naruto a questioning look. "How did you know?"

"I asked Sasuke if he liked you." The Yamanaka eyes widened at his confession. "I'm pretty sure he does. Just as I'm sure you still feel something for him. You haven't been the same either."

"What do you mean either? Sasuke was the one who said he can't be with me—because of his stupid revenge." Anger had long replaced Ino's eyes. "I went to him before I said yes to Gaara. Sasuke led me on only to reject me."

Naruto hugged Ino in order to comfort her. Her tears were muffled against his shirt. "Well, you know that bastard. Sasuke…well…he's a jerk. With chicken-butt hair."

Ino pulled away and laughed. She wiped away her tears and smiled lightly. "There's that smile." Naruto chimed.

"Thanks, Naruto. But I don't care anymore. Sasuke is a part of my past now. I'm going to be Gaara's wife now."

"But is that what you really want?" Naruto stared into Ino's equally blue eyes. They looked extremely sad, much to Naruto's distaste. This wasn't the Ino he knew. He liked the loud Ino better than this quiet one.

Ino bit her bottom lip and began to tear up again. She slowly shook her head from side to side and looked at her knees. "No. It's not. I still love, Sasuke."

"Then tell Sasuke you still love him and break up the engagement. You deserve to be happy."

"Naruto, I can't. Sasuke already said he won't be with me because of his revenge. And I don't want to hurt Gaara."

Naruto thought about it for a while and finally smile brightly. "I'll fix this before the wedding tomorrow."

Ino's eyes widened up. "Oh my gosh. With all this stuff in my mind, I almost forgot I had to finish some preparations."

"Ino. I'll fix this. Don't worry." With one last hug, Naruto got off the wall. "Are you hanging out with Shikamaru and Chouji tonight?"

"Yeah. They want to take their sister out to dinner before the big day." Ino winked.

"All right. I'll see you tomorrow. I have to make things better."

Just as he was about to leave, Ino called out his name. Naruto turned around and looked at the woman. "Thank you, Naruto."

Naruto's big smile reassured Ino that everything was going to be okay. The blonde man ran to find his red-headed friend. Naruto had to have a little talk with him before going over to Sasuke's again. Damn, this was going to be hard.

* * *

The Uzumaki managed to find Gaara in his apartment. Once Naruto arrived there, he told the red-head they needed to talk.

"What is it?" Gaara looked at Naruto's serious face. This must be something important if Naruto wasn't his jolly self.

"Are you willing to do anything to make Ino happy?"

Gaara looked at the blue-eyed man as if he had gone crazy. With a nod, Gaara said he would.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Naruto, what is going on?"

"Look, I can't explain now." Naruto served himself a glass of water and drank it. "You'll find out—maybe. But remember what you agreed to all right?"

After those words, Naruto left out the door once more. He left a very perplexed Gaara behind. But that didn't matter right now. Naruto need to find Sasuke as quickly as possible. The Uzumaki wondered what Sasuke was thinking.

* * *

'She's getting married tomorrow.' A depressed Uchiha thought. For weeks, Sasuke had been thinking why he had told Ino he couldn't be with her, He thought about it and finally realized why.

He didn't want his revenge to be his pain focus again. No. He had been afraid that if he got too close to her, he'd lose her; and he didn't want that to happen. But it was too late now. As of tomorrow, he was going to lose her for good.

Just as he pondered on this though, Sasuke saw Naruto walking up his doorstep. Sasuke, who happened to be outside, had an urge to go back inside. But he fought it.

"Sasuke."

"What do you want?"

"I need to talk to you about Ino." Sasuke's shoulders tensed up, but didn't bother replying to the blonde man. "I know you like her. Why are you so stubborn?"

"Like I said, I can't be with her."

"Because of your revenge?"

"Hn." Sasuke said with a glare.

"Ino told me everything. She loves you! She doesn't want to marry Gaara—you drove her to do that."

"Whatever."

"Sasuke, you bastard." Sasuke could see Naruto balling his fists up. "Forget your revenge! Fight for her!"

"I have a clan to avenge." The Uchiha had his foot firm in the ground.

"Dammit, Sasuke. Screw your revenge. Ino is more important."

"I said no, Naruto." There was tension in the air.

"I see. I guess I'm the better man here. I am so much better than you!"

"You? Who are you kidding? I am so much better than you!"

"I don't think so. If you were, you'd fight for the person you love—like I do. But since you're not fighting, that makes me better than you!"

At hearing Naruto's words, a death glare contest erupted. "You wish."

"Prove it then. Screw Itachi and everything else. Fight for her." The whiskered-face jounin said with serious eyes. He turned on his heel and left Sasuke to think about their conversation.

"Maybe I will." A smirk appeared on the Uchiha's face for the first time in weeks.

* * *

Meanwhile, the old Team 10 was hanging out at the Korean Barbeque. Or rather, Chouji was eating while Ino and Shikamaru just watched. The trio laughed, reminisced, and even cried a little. Then their thoughts crossed to those of their old sensei.

"Do you think Asuma-sensei will be at the wedding?" Tears were forming in Ino's eyes.

Shikamaru, who was sitting in front of Chouji and Ino, took hold of Ino's hand. "I'm sure he will."

"Ino, I bet he's right here, right now, looking down at us." Chouji said with a smile.

Tears poured down Ino's face, but she managed to smile. With her free hand, Ino put an arm around Chouji's shoulders. "I love you, guys. You, too, Asuma-sensei."

"We doo, too, Ino" Chouji smiled brightly. Then he and Ino turned to the Nara.

"What? Troublesome people." He smirked. "I do, too. Well, let's go you two. Ino's big day is tomorrow."

With that said, Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji left the Barbeque. Ino linked arms with both men on either side of her. First they dropped off Chouji at his house. Ino hugged him tightly. She told him she loved him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye!" The Akimichi waved at his best friends, who had once again linked arms.

Shikamaru and Ino waved back and walked towards Ino's house. The Nara felt that his best friend had something that was bugging her. He decided to ask her. "Ino, what's wrong?"

"You noticed, huh?" A sad smile appeared on her face.

"Well…yeah…" Shikamaru laughed making Ino do the same. His laugh was so contagious to her.

The Yamanaka explained the whole situation to Shikamaru. She told him about Sasuke, Gaara, and everything else; everything including her earlier session with Naruto. Ino didn't bother leaving any details. Shikamaru was used to it, Ino told him everything. Once she was done, Ino looked at the shadow-possessor.

"Wow. Well…" The blonde knew this was even hard for Shikamaru to figure out. "When the time comes, you'll know what to do. You always do."

Ino smiled at the confidence Shikamaru had in her. "I love you, Shikamaru. You're like the brother I never wanted."

The two laughed at the blonde's comment. "Here we are."

"Yeah…and tomorrow is the big day."

"Don't worry about it. Knowing Naruto, everything will turn out all right. And if not, I'm always here." Shikamaru hugged Ino tightly, and the two stayed like that for a while.

"Aww…Why didn't you two ever go out?" Inoichi popped out of no where.

Ino and Shikamaru pulled away from each other and stared at Ino's father with complete shock. When did he get there? "Daddy, what are you doing here?"

"What? Can't I check up on my baby girl?"

"Go home, Dad!" Ino said in a stern voice.

"Fine." The pouting father left with his head down. The two best friends watched as he disappeared into the darkness.

"You should go, too. Get some rest." Ino said with a smile.

"Yeah. But you get some sleep, too." The dark-haired boy hugged the blonde once again. Ino kissed Shikamaru on the cheek and winked.

"Maybe we should have gone out."

"Don't get my hopes up." Shikamaru smirked as Ino winked towards him.

Ino watched the pineapple-shape-haired man leave towards his house. A sigh escaped from Ino's lips. Tomorrow was going to be a long day. Damn.


	8. Ch 7:Finale

OMG!! It's the finale!! Yeah, it's a bittersweet thing. T.T Thank you to all the reviewers who have put up with my cliffhangers and everything else. xD Enjoy, and don't forget to review the last chapter. Love all of you guys!!

* * *

--Chapter Seven: Finale--

* * *

Ino looked at the reflection in the mirror before her. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a balled-up ponytail. There was no long bang covering her right eye today, nor was she wearing her usual purple outfit. Instead, she was wearing the perfect white wedding dress. Everything about her was flawless. That is everything but her heart.

A long sigh escaped Ino's slender lips. "So the day's finally here." Ino's fingertips rose to touch her mouth. "Sasuke… No! I can't think about him anymore. I'm marrying Gaara now. There's no backing down."

The Yamanaka then heard a knock at the door. "Ino! Open up!" A loud male voice reached the woman's ears.

"Naruto?" Ino walked towards the door and turned the door knob.

"Hey!" The Uzumaki quickly entered and indicated the blonde to close the door. "I have to talk to you now."

"What's wrong?"

"I talked to him. I talked to Sasuke."

"What? What did he say?" Curiosity was burning in Ino's eyes. She strained to keep her voice quiet, fearing someone might hear them.

Naruto took a hint and lowered his voice as well. "Same stuff he said to you, but I can tell this wedding is killing him inside. Then I dared him to fight for you."

"Do you honesty think he's going to do it?"

"Well, we'll see."

"Naruto!" Ino gasped. "What about Gaara?"

"Ino, don't worry." The blue-eyed man tried to reassure the woman before him. "I talked to him. No, not about how you felt. I just made him remember that he'd do anything to make you happy."

Ino's heartbeats turned to their regular rhythm. With a smile, the Yamanaka lunged out to hug Naruto. "You're the best."

"Well duh. What world have you been in?" A bright smile appeared on both their faces.

"Time to get going, Naruto." The two blondes looked at the clock above the door. They took one last look at each other, stood up, and nodded.

Naruto left Ino alone once again. Ino rearranged herself and sighed. "C'mon, Sasuke." She walked out the door and walked to the front door of the church.

* * *

Ino was greeted by her father and Maids of Honor: Hinata, Sakura, and Temari. Then the music began, the cue indicating the wedding was starting.

The doors of the church opened broadly. Ino began to walk forward and took note of all the details before her. Just as she had planned, there were flowers everywhere. She loved the smell inside the church.

As she looked around, Ino saw the familiar faces of her friends. There was Shizune, many of her fellow jounin, Iruka-sensei, TenTen, Neji, Lee, and many other people. Each of them had their attention to her.

Finally Ino arrived to the front of the alter. Gaara took Ino from Inoichi and smirked right at her. Ino smiled as she walked with him. 'Maybe, I could be happy with him. I do love him.'

From her standing position, Ino smiled at Shikamaru and Chouji, who were standing behind Gaara. Next to them were Naruto, Kiba, and Kankuro. Ino then turned her head and noticed who was going to marry them—Tsunade.

"Well, if everyone would be quiet, we can start this wedding!" Tsunade bellowed.

"Lady Tsunade, can you hold that thought?"

"Chouji? What are you doing?" Ino whispered.

"What are you talking about, Akimichi?" Tsunade looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Troublesome. Lady Tsunade, we just need to talk to Ino for a minute." Shikamaru leaned forward to talk.

Gaara, who had been glaring at Chouji, now turned to Shikamaru. His glare was filled with a little bit of bewilderment. "Why?"

Ino looked into her best friends' pleading looks and sighed. She looked at Gaara and smiled. "This will only take a minute." Ino grabbed Shikamaru and Chouji by the hand, dragging them outside the church room. She closed the door behind her and stared at the two men.

"Ino. As troublesome as it is to say, you can't marry Gaara."

"Yeah, Ino. Shikamaru told me everything."

Ino crossed her arms under her chest and rolled her eyes. She just had to be close to her teammates. "I'm up there already. I can't just not marry him."

"Ino, listen to me." Shikamaru looked into Ino's face. "You don't love him."

"How many times have we heard you say you love Sasuke?" Chouji raised an eyebrow.

Ino looked at her old teammates and threw her arms around them. "I love you guys; but Gaara treats me right, you know. Let me just do this."

"Ino."

"I mean it." With a sad smile, Ino once again took hold of their hands and went inside. They traveled to the alter and resumed their places. "Please, begin." Ino told the Hokage.

Everyone's confusion disappeared when the ceremony began. Ino smiled at Gaara as Tsunade began to speak. Gaara smirked in returned.

The Lady Hokage finally came close to ending the ceremony. The only thing left was their "I do's."

"Gaara. Do you take Ino to be your wife?"

The Kazekage nodded slightly and said, "I do."

"Ino. Do you—."

"Stop!"

Everyone's heads turned to the back of the church. Standing there was a raven-haired man. There were many gasps and words murmured at seeing the man. That man was none other than Sasuke Uchiha.

"Sa-sasuke?"

"Uchiha. You better have a good reason to interrupt this wedding." An agitated tone escaped Tsunade's eyes. For Kami-sama sakes! This was the second time someone interrupted her. Though she sounded angry, her eyes showed a tinge of humor. 'I knew this was going to be interesting. Where's a bottle of sake when you need one?'

"It is." Sasuke began to walk up down the aisle and stopped once he was in front of Ino. Obsidian eyes met cerulean ones. "Ino. You can't marry him."

Gaara began to move in front of the Yamanaka. His glare on Sasuke was intensifying by the second. But then, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Remember what you said yesterday." It was by Naruto's voice that Gaara finally understood their previous conversation. Ino did love him, he knew that. But she loved the Uchiha more. The Kazekage sighed and nodded. 'I love you, Ino.'

Next to the red-head, Ino stood transfixed by Sasuke's gaze. 'This…this is all too much!' The blonde's eyes began to sting as she looked at Sasuke. All the memories of the missions they shared, their conversations, and the night they spent together were piling upon her head. But the most vivid memory was that of their passionate kiss. That's when the tears began to fall down Ino's pale complexion.

"Look. I lied. My revenge is important and being with you would ruin that, but that's not the reason why I said I can't be with you."

"Why then?" Ino's voice croaked. She didn't even bother wiping the tears away.

"I was afraid. Afraid of losing you. But I didn't that that by saying no, you'd end up marrying Gaara. Ino…don't marry him."

"Sasuke…I gave you a chance. You blew it."

"Stop lying to yourself. I know you. You still love me." Sasuke's stern tone shocked Ino. The Uchiha knew Ino inside and out after all the missions they had spent together. Of course no one knew that, especially not Ino. It was Sasuke's little secret.

Ino dropped to her knees and cried into her hands. She knew Sasuke was right, but she couldn't just leave. She had Gaara to think about. Dammit, he loved her and would give her the world. What was she to do? Suddenly, she felt a presence kneel before her.

"Ino. Go." A deep voice entered her ear. She knew that voice anywhere. It was Gaara.

"But what about you? I love you, too."

"You love Uchiha more." Gaara's eyes turned sad. "Go."

Ino looked into Gaara's eyes and smile. He returned to gesture and wiped away her tears. That was rewarded by Ino encircling her arms around his neck. She leaned forward and planted a small kiss on the Sabaku's lips. They embraced for a while, and Gaara took this chance to inhale her scent one last time. They slowly stood up and Ino caressed his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Gaara watched as the blonde walked towards Sasuke. "Take care of her or I'll kill you, Uchiha."

"I will." The dark-haired man nodded as he linked hands with the gorgeous blue-eyed blonde. "Let's go."

Ino nodded and left the church with Sasuke.

* * *

"Where are we going?" The Yamanaka finally asked.

"To the flower field." Sasuke said with a smirk.

"The flower field?" Ino curiously asked.

Sasuke said no more but stopped walking to pick Ino up bridal-style. They finally arrived and Sasuke set Ino down.

"You look beautiful." Sasuke said as he intertwined his fingers with those of Ino.

"Thanks."

"Come here." Sasuke put his hands and Ino's waist and started to lean towards her face. Ino raised an eyebrow and Sasuke slowly chuckled. He crashed his lips onto Ino's—savoring their taste.

The Yamanaka felt immense joy overcome her. Ino's lips melded perfectly with Sasuke's; Sasuke then forced his tongue into Ino's mouth. He diligently explored the walls of her mouth. She tasted so sweet. Sasuke began to pull away but Ino wasn't going to let go of him that easily. As the Uchiha pulled away, Ino slowly bit his lower lip.

Now it was Sasuke's turn to raise an eyebrow. Ino merely smirked. "I missed you, Uchiha."

"It's Sasuke." The onyx-eyed man said.

"Whatever."

"Oh, I'll show you whatever." Sasuke pulled Ino into a tight embrace and kissed her lips over and over again.

Ino laughed and said, "I love you, Sasuke."

"I love you, Yamanaka." Now Sasuke laughed as Ino gave him her look. "I mean, Ino."

"Much better." The two lied down on the flowers and smiled fondly towards one another. Ino rested her head on Sasuke's chest and sighed happily. "Much much better." They slowly closed their eyes and fell asleep. There was no point in worrying what the villagers were going to say later. They had each other and could easily take down anyone who got in their way.


End file.
